In the Pines by The Triffids / Calenture
by The Triffids (Reissues) (Domino)

Australia in the ’80s spawned two sublime song-orientated
folk/pop/rock groups, The Triffids and The Go-Betweens,
neither of whom enjoyed anything like the popular
success they should have achieved at the time. Hailing
from Brisbane, The Go-Bes had a slightly sunnier,
surfier disposition. Coming from Perth, the most isolated
major city in the world, The Trifs’ territory
true territory was always the wilderness, the forsaken,
the emotionally yearning but barren. As has been commented,
you could drop a medium-sized European country on
areas of the outback, and not kill anyone.

In The Pines was the ‘getting-our-heads-together
in the country’ interlude between the band’s
highpoint Born Sandy Devotional, and the follow-up
proper, Calenture. Redolent of Dylan and The
Band’s long available only on bootleg The Basement
Tapes, it was made in a woolshed for $1190, most
of which was spent on beer. Calenture, in contrast,
was recorded in a London studio, and is a much more
polished, lusher affair. But what they both share is
killer songs. Listening to cuts like ‘Hometown
Farewell Kiss’ and ‘Jerdacuttup Man’,
you realise how much David McComb, sadly no longer with
us having succumbed to his various addictions in 1999
aged 38, after a heart transplant in 1996, had already
achieved his aspiration to place himself in the pantheon
of great songwriters occupied by his heroes, Dylan,
Cohen and Gene Clark.

Let’s not mince words here: Born Sandy Devotional
is not only one of the best albums of the ’80s,
but of all time. You shouldn’t have to be asked
twice to get into music this good, and hats off to Domino
for this continuing series of reissues.